Distillation of hydrocarbon oils



Nov. 15, 1927.

F. A.. HOWARD DISTILLATION OF HYDROCARBON onLs Filed Aug. 12. 1920 Flor. l5,

m... Ill-M M FRANK A. HUWARD, Uh N'EYV YORK, N. Y ASSIGNOR 'lO STANDARD DEVELOPMENT CUMFANY, A CORPURATION OF DELAWARE.

DISTILLATION O13 HYDROCARBOIQ' OILS.

application filed August 12, 1920.

The present invention relates to the dis tillation of hydrocarbon oils, and particularly to such distillations as are carried out under pressure for the purpose of converting heavier hydrocarbon oils into'lighter. It will be clearly understood from the following description of a specific embodiment thereof, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which a still suitable; for use in connection with the invention is shown.

ln the drawing the numeral 5 indicates a bulk supply container or drum, preferably lagged, which may be of the horizontal cy lindrical type, provided with a vapor line 6 (broken away in the drawing), which is preferably an inclined lagged pipe in which condensation of heavier vapors takes place, the condensate returning to the still. The drum is mounted upon a furnace setting l, and from points near opposite ends of its bottom depend pipes or legs 8 and 9, the lat terbeing longer than the former.

'llhese pipes 8 and 9 communicate with headers 10 and 11 respectively, and a plurality of banks or rows of inclined tubes 1:2, 12 connect the headers. These tubes are heated by the combustion gases from the fireplace and a deck 13 placed over them protects the bulk supply container from the heat of the furnace. A circulation of the oil from the drum into and upwardly through the tubes takes place by thermal action. A draw-oil pipe 14 communicating with the bottom of the lower header 11 provides for the re moval of distillation residues.

in operation a suitable stock, for example, of the character of gas oil of, say, 32 Be. gravity, is fed into the still, for example, through the vapor line, the tubes and headers being; completely filled and the drum partially filled. The still is then fired, a suit-- able internal pressure of say, i to t atmos- Serial No. 403,079.

pheres being maintained. The constant supply o't Oll to the drum malntalns the oll therein at an elevated temperature, altho the drum itself is not directly heated. Steam or an inert gas such as carbon dioxide is injected in an upward direction in the short leg 8 by means of the pipe 15 having an upwardly directed tip or nozzle 16. The quantity of steam or gas introduced in this manner is not in general suflicient to mate rially increase the extent of vaporization of the liquid in the still, a suitable uantity being, for example 3 to 7% (calculated as condensed water) oi the distillate. If desired, however, larger quantities of steam may be introduced. The introduction of the gaseous material or steam in the upward direction in the leg; or communicating pipe between the up er ends of the tubes acts positively according to the air-lift method to increase the normal rate of flow in the tubes resulting from the thermal effect of the heat applied thereto and likewise acts to reduce the amount of carbon deposition upon theinterior of the tubes.

Altho the present invention has been de scribed in connection with thedet-ails of a specific embodiment thereof, it is not intended that these shall be regarded as llll'litations upon the scope of the invention except in so tar-as included in the acco1n= panyinp; claim.

of steam upwardly into the oil between the heated zone and the bulk supply. a

- FRANK A. HOWARD. 

